


Kisstletoe

by revamped



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas Party, Kissing Booths, M/M, Meet-Cute, Riku's a frat boy, Sora's himself, sometimes these things happen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:13:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27986736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/revamped/pseuds/revamped
Summary: “Do you always proposition yourself for charity? Or am I just a special case?”“Uh. ...well, to be honest? I think the whole point was that there’s an appeal to kissing me, or something. Not to sound egotistical or anything! It’s just kind of a thing.”“..are people really that anxious to kiss a guy in a Mickey Mouse sweater?”On the night before Sora and Kairi return home for winter break, they stop by a fraternity Christmas party where somebody gets a little more than he bargained for. But hey. At least it's for charity?
Relationships: Kairi & Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 48





	Kisstletoe

“How are you not freezing in that?” The question was met with an amused little laugh and as he felt a hand close over his, Sora realized it was a trap considering Kairi was, in fact, ice cold. “Augh, quit it!” 

“Oh don’t be a baby, Sora!” There was a playful pout on her lips as she held onto his hand tightly, pulling him down the sidewalk as she adjusted her scarf with her free hand. “It’s not home, but it’s really not so bad here, is it?” 

“Maybe not.” He unfortunately had to agree with her, though he found himself squinting at the sky dubiously. Night had fallen several hours ago, but the streetlights above them gave off just enough of a glow that Sora could see the frost in the air and the hint of snow that would come soon. 

It wasn’t anything like home where the nights got chilly but never enough to warrant more than a light jacket. It wasn’t even like Twilight Town where the temperature was moderate and Sora had time to build up an immunity to the weather during his first semester of university. No. Here in Radiant Garden the air was nearly-frigid, flowers succumbed to the frost, and he was outside walking down the sidewalk in an ugly Christmas sweater while his best friend tried not to shiver in a short candy cane-patterned dress hidden under his black jacket. Sora’s classes had finished the day prior and the two had come to an agreement that he would pick Kairi up from her campus and they would head out the next morning for the road trip home to their island. 

Tonight, however…

“Remind me again why we’re going to this party?” 

“Because I already RSVP’d a few weeks ago, my sisters and some of my friends will be there and you could use the chance to have a night off?” The tone was teasing, but Kairi turned her head to peer at him as if trying to read his thoughts. Then again, she probably was. “You’ve been working so hard this semester. _And_ I haven’t even talked to you for the last couple of weeks because you were so busy with finals! You couldn’t even Zoom with me.” 

Ah. There it was. The thinly-veiled guilt trip heavily doused with concern. It was hard to be mad at her for bringing it up, but at the same time all he could do was give her a mildly exasperated shrug. 

“You know I have to stay ahead in order to get into my program in two years. If I don’t start now--” 

“You won’t reach your goal. I _know_ , Sora, but you’re always busy! Have you even had time to go out and enjoy yourself on your own campus? Find a special someone, maybe?” 

The sound of Kairi’s heels on the pavement was the only thing that came in reply before she tugged on his hand and continued talking.

“...my sorority’s been really good for me, you know. It’s great having friends that can support me, but also having friends who’ll tell me when it’s okay to take a break and go out to socialize. You used to be really good at making friends. What happened?” 

He felt himself frowning. “I’m not _not_ making friends?”

“Study groups don’t count. Also, Hayner told me you cancelled a lot of plans in the last couple of months.” 

“Should I be worried you’re close enough to my roommate to even know that?” 

“Don’t be silly. He’s perfectly nice and also I got his number just in case something happened to you, like overworking yourself to death.” As they continued to walk, Kairi huddled up against him for warmth and spoke a little louder to be heard over the barely-audible sound of music down the block. The block of fraternity and sorority houses known as Greek Row was ahead of them. Students were arriving from all over in various states of Christmas attire, but she didn’t seem to be paying attention to them. “...are you sure you’re okay?” 

The question both did and didn’t surprise him, and for a moment he looked at her as he debated how to respond to that. Truthfully, it felt like a trap when he knew that no matter what he said it wouldn’t be a satisfactory answer for a number of reasons.

They could always talk about things later, he supposed. They could talk about the part where Sora’s own expectations for himself were almost daunting these days, how it was harder to motivate himself when the sun disappeared so early, how some days it felt like a mistake leaving his island and his friends behind...how it felt like sometimes he was completely separated from reality and didn’t know how to get back. 

Tonight wasn’t the time for that discussion though. Tonight was a night to muster up the energy he had left to be the best friend she deserved, and he gave her hand a light squeeze before flashing her a smile. 

“It’s my first frat party. Guess I’m a little nervous?” It was an easy lie, words leaving him without a second thought. It was both an excuse and also the truth, and it worked exactly the way he’d hoped it would. Kairi’s expression softened before it grew more excited, steps quickening as they approached a brightly lit house. 

“Then you’re in luck! The Alpha Delta boys always know how to have a good time. Besides, there’re some people I want you to meet while we’re here.” There was a devious look in her eye though and while he wanted to ask? It was probably best that he didn’t. “Just be yourself like always. You’ll fit right in.” 

It was a vague vote of confidence, but the sincerity of it was enough to remind Sora that Kairi really did have all the best intentions in the world and always had for their entire lives. He had to trust her a little more, and who knows? Maybe it really wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe this party was just the thing he needed to unwind from a semester of stress and learning how to find his footing again.

“If you say so," he conceded before he shook his head. "Let’s just get inside. Your shivering’s starting to make _me_ shiver.”

*********************************************************

As it turned out, Kairi might’ve been on to something with her sleeveless dress because Sora was starting to kind of regret wearing a sweater inside. The house was huge, but it hardly made a difference when it was packed with people. Everywhere he turned Sora found himself face to face with a new stranger and while Kairi had assured him she’d be right back he hadn’t seen her for the last half an hour.

So. Sora did as Sora usually did in a new place and started to wander on his own, observing the scenery around him. The house had been decorated with strands of Christmas lights through all of the rafters and on the walls. A large Christmas tree sat behind the homemade bar, packed with ornaments and occasionally spitting out a dusting of fake snow from a machine buried at its base. Stockings with the names of the fraternity brothers hung on the wall filled with various items such as ping-pong balls, miniature bottles of alcohol, candy and who knew what else. Some guy with a blonde mullet and a Santa hat sat behind a turntable, DJing the whole party and ignoring the way the sign above him rained glitter every now and then.

Whoever decided the party should be called a Jingle Mingle really, really needed to re-sort their priorities. (Never mind that it was kind of catchy and the brand of cheesy he liked.) 

Even while Sora was a little anxious about being alone, however, he found himself chatting with people as he went. It wasn’t that hard to play pretend and immediately blend in, asking people about the party or picking up a red or green jello shot from a tray that passed by or joining a stranger to be their partner for a game of beer pong. It wasn’t hard to navigate the house with its four floors and winding stairs, but while alcohol left him pleasantly relaxed he couldn’t help but feel restless the moment he wandered off again. 

It was maybe an hour and a half into his wandering that Kairi found him again with her arm linked through another girl’s, introducing him to her Big Sister named Rikku. It was a name he’d heard before, someone Kairi had described on their phone calls sometimes or a convenient excuse of “gotta go, Rikku’s here!” or an explanation for why she was late to something (“Rikku and I were catching up at lunch.”) It was almost cute that their dresses matched and while Rikku asked him all kinds of questions and he answered in kind, he couldn’t stop staring at the bauble-shaped earrings she wore or the weird fiery-bird tattoo peeking out from under the waistband of her skirt. His attention seemed to drift toward the stairs, watching as a line progressively grew longer and longer. It spilled from the top of the stairs down to a landing in the middle, starting to wind itself around another set of stairs on its way down. Despite the fact it was a little rude, he interrupted Rikku’s story about some campus sports game to gesture toward the line.

“What’s going on? Does the house only have one bathroom or something?” 

It should have been a warning sign when the two girls shared conspiratorial looks before they met him with matching grins.

“One of the things you have to know about Alpha boys is that they love to give back. It’s this very cute service thing, like they think they’re knights or something?” Rikku hummed for a moment before she unlinked her arm from Kairi’s and latched onto Sora’s instead, steering him right toward the line. “How much money do you have on you right now?” 

“Uh. I dunno, like five dollars?” 

“Perfect!” The exclamation was a little too loud for his taste, but as they got in line Sora found that she was a lot stronger than she looked and Kairi flanked his other side almost-immediately to cut off any method of escape.

“Every time the Alphas throw a party, they always run some kind of drive or event for charity. For Halloween, they ran the creepiest haunted house on the block and donated all of the money from admissions to three different homeless shelters. The president’s really good at doing his research for organizations that could use an extra boost.” Kairi was walking up the stairs backwards every time the line moved an inch, keeping her eyes on her friends and making sure Sora would follow her. “Annnd since you’re here, you should definitely help out!” 

Something about this seemed very, very suspicious, but for the life of him Sora couldn’t even begin to make heads or tails of it. Donating to charity was fine, whatever, but the way the girls kept staring over his head and the way people kept coming down the stairs in varying states of glee had him wondering what he was about to walk into. Whispers passed down the line, most to the tune of excitement and eagerness even if Sora didn’t understand what the hell anyone was talking about.

As they reached the first landing though, Rikku turned to him with the most serious expression she could muster before putting both of her hands on his shoulders.

“Okay Sora. This is, like, the most important decision of your life right now. Left or right?” 

“Huh?” 

“Left or right!” Kairi chimed in from above him, black heeled boots clicking on the wooden stairs in time to “Holly Jolly Christmas” that could be heard from downstairs. “Do you remember when we were kids and we used to always read those choose-your-own-adventure books together? It’s sort of like that. But this time you can’t go back and cheat if you don’t like the option.” 

“I did _not_ cheat!” Perhaps he could have sounded more believable, but he was preoccupied with the idea of making a choice. It soon became clear why as they reached the second landing. The hallway split to the right and to the left, one door at each end decorated with paper snowflakes. As the people ahead of them started splitting off to the left and the right, Sora felt a little push at the small of his back when Rikku nudged him forward. 

“You want my advice?” She didn’t even pause for an answer before she jerked her thumb toward the left. “Go that way. Kairi and I’ll go right.” 

At the top of the stairs and right before the hall split sat a disgruntled teenager, blue hair swept to hide his right eye as his elf shoes jingled in annoyance each time he tapped his toe. He peered at the trio, tilting his head briefly before shaking it no.

“Two to a room, I’m afraid. You know the rules.” 

“Don’t worry about it, Ienzo! Rikku and I are going this way and Sora’s going to take the other room.” Kairi was quick to assure the boy and reached into the belt of her dress, pulling out a miniature candy cane to present to him. “Smile a little! You’re gonna scare everybody off.” 

Ienzo raised both eyebrows this time, but that didn’t stop him from unwrapping the candy cane to slip between his lips while continuing to stare at the three of them. “As if I could scare anyone away from this?” 

It felt ominous, but Sora was running out of time to stall. Kairi took Rikku’s hand and she waved over her shoulder. 

“Have fun! And don’t think too much!” 

Those were the only words of reassurance he received before the girls disappeared behind the door to the right.

But what exactly did that mean? 

He stood there for a few more moments, uncertain of how he felt about entering a mystery room in a Christmas sweater with Mickey Mouse ears stamped all over it and a little tipsy but the soft clearing of Ienzo’s throat was enough to jar him back to reality. 

“You _are_ holding up the line.” 

“Oh, sorry!” Flustered, he turned away and quickly walked down the hall, keeping his back to the party and focusing on entering the room before him. 

There wasn’t that much space to move, seeing how a red and green backdrop had been hung to cut off half of the room. White lights twinkled from corners of the ceiling and in front of him sat what appeared to be a wooden table set up almost like a lemonade stand. The stand had been decorated with boughs of holly and tinsel hung from the front, all wrapped up and leading to a sign written in large, silvery letters.

“Merry Kissmas?” 

Perhaps he shouldn’t have sounded so alarmed reading it out loud, but a soft laugh brought him back as he glanced down for the first time. If he had thought to look around before, he may have noticed someone seated behind the table itself. The dim glow of the room meant the stranger was partially hidden in the shadows, but Sora could make out short silver hair, black fingerless gloves and a glass jar filled with wads of cash. A black blindfold covered the stranger’s eyes, but there was a slight smile on his face that made it seem as though he was staring straight at Sora regardless. 

“We _really_ have to stop letting Zack name things,” the boy mused aloud, though he didn’t seem particularly bothered. “But I guess it’s kind of fitting.” 

It’s about then that Sora noticed what, exactly, he had walked into and why the girls suggested he take the left path. 

“A kissing booth? Really?” He didn’t exactly step closer, but he folded his arms over his chest as he continued to stare at the figure behind the booth. “So what’s in the other room, Santa and his elves?” 

He wasn’t sure why, but hearing the laugh that came after that made Sora feel strangely pleased and embarrassed all at once. “More like just Santa. The elf’s out in the hallway on a time out.” There was a shift and soon the stranger leaned forward, resting his forearms (his really nice forearms, admittedly) against the countertop to bring himself into the light. “What’s the matter, cutie? Feeling a little out of place?” 

“Yeah?” The answer was immediate, and maybe he shouldn’t have been quite so honest about it. Then again, with the door closed behind them and knowing he’d have to be a complete asshole not to donate to whatever the Alpha Delta house was doing, he didn’t really have a choice in the matter. It almost felt like he’d been tricked into this and while there was a brief flare of irritation toward Kairi and Rikku…

...he did have to admit that the stranger was a little cute. And he was a little more than curious about the situation that lay before him. 

It wasn’t like Sora’s never kissed anyone before. And it wasn’t like Sora’s never kissed a _boy_ before, but this seemed different to him. For all he knew it could’ve been that the blindfold was throwing him off but analyzing it too much would’ve just ended up with Sora asking even stupider questions. So instead, he finally walked forward.

“Let me guess. You drew the short straw and got stuck manning the booth?” 

“I think I got lucky, actually. Most of the other pledges got stuck on set-up and clean-up duty, or making sure the bar’s stocked.” He sounded strangely ambivalent about the part where he would have to spend who knew how long kissing people he couldn’t see, but Sora didn’t get to ask before the guy continued. “Besides, my shift’s almost over. Somebody else will take over in a little while.” 

“Does that mean I’m your last customer?” It was said as a joke, but Sora heard himself fall flat even as the words left his mouth. There was a pause of consideration before a nod followed.

“Depends how long you stick around.” Equally joking, but the longer Sora watched him the more he noticed that the other boy was fidgeting just a little. “Most people come through, make their donation, get what they came for and disappear again. Easy.” Another pause of hesitation, almost like he was drawing up the courage to continue before flashing Sora another flirty smile. “If you’re worried about me kissing and telling, don’t. Anything that happens here is between you and me.” 

“Do you always proposition yourself for charity? Or am I just a special case?” 

“Uh.” And there it was again, the break in character that had Sora wondering just how often this guy did anything like this, especially with how his fingers tapped idly on the counter. “...well, to be honest? I think the whole point was that there’s an appeal to kissing me, or something. Not to sound egotistical or anything! It’s just kind of a thing.” 

There was no way to _not_ make that sound egotistical, but Sora wasn’t going to be the one to point that out. Rather, he narrowed his eyes and continued to examine the stranger’s face for a moment. Hm...strong jawline, freshly cut hair, near-perfect skin. Even if the booth was hiding most of his figure, it wasn’t hard to tell he was fit and took care of himself, even though…

“..are people really that anxious to kiss a guy in a Mickey Mouse sweater?” 

“Wait, you can see that?” The boy immediately sat back in the shadows and hunched himself over. He shouldn’t have laughed, but Sora was unfairly delighted to discover that it was so, so easy to fluster his opponent. 

“Aw come on. It’s kind of funny.” Even as the boy pulled back, Sora found himself growing somewhat braver now that he had the upper hand, leaning in closer until he was practically on the booth itself. What could it hurt? He couldn’t be seen, nobody had to know about this conversation, and it’s not like he’d ever see this boy again. After tonight, he’d go back to his island for a few weeks for winter break and he’d then return to a town a few hours from this place. 

If he thought about it, it really wasn’t the worst way to donate to charity. 

“I got dressed before Zack put me at the booth and didn’t have time to change. Is it really that bad?” 

Oh. Oh no, now he felt a little bad knowing that this guy genuinely sounded like he was worried about that. 

“Not really.” Sora looked down at his own sweater, frowning in thought before looking back up again. “It just sort of makes you stand out even if you’re busy hiding in the dark. Just because you can’t see us doesn’t mean we can’t see you.” 

“So what you’re saying is I’d stand out among the crowd?” The lilt in the boy’s voice was teasing again, almost like a test. 

“You won’t even have to shout out loud.” It felt easy to complete the thought, almost in the way it would be if he was sharing an inside joke with Kairi. It could’ve been because they had similar senses of humor, or it could’ve been that the set-up was too perfect.

Or, maybe, it could have been that this was some weird kind of flirting that Sora was walking right into. It wasn’t as though he minded, exactly, but it was…

...interesting, to say the least. 

What could it hurt? He couldn’t be seen, nobody had to know about this conversation, and it’s not like he’d ever see this boy again. After tonight, he’d go back to his island for a few weeks for winter break and he’d then return to a town a few hours from this place. 

…

So. Why was it harder to actually remind himself of that and why was it easier to keep pushing buttons? 

He didn’t get much time to muse on that though before there was a subtle shift of the glass jar across the table, the stranger turning his head once more to stare at Sora without seeing him.

“Then I guess it’s a good thing mine is the only face you’ll see.” It was softer this time, as if he was contemplating if he wanted to continue this game with Sora, too. But whatever magic was there quickly dulled, and soon it evaporated entirely. “The line’s probably backed up by now though, so…” 

“Oh. Right.” Right. Ienzo had said the same thing earlier, and the last time Sora checked the line was down the stairs again. “Highly requested and all that.” He reached into his pocket and fumbled for a bit before tossing a crumpled bill into the jar. “Here. It’s not much but it’s what I’ve got.” 

A gloved hand reached forward, fingers wrapping around the lip of the jar and barely touching the top of the pile of money. “Anything’s enough. Thanks a lot.” 

“Sure.” There was a lingering pause then, neither of them making a move before the jar was pushed to the side and the boy leaned forward again. 

“...you don’t _have_ to take it, but…” Another pause, an uncertain look, and there was a frown as he tried again. “Not that I _want_ to encourage you to kiss a total stranger but you _did_ donate and you’re already here so…if you want! No pressure. But it kind of only seems fair?”

It wasn’t like Sora’s never kissed anyone before. And it wasn’t like Sora’s never kissed a _boy_ before, but this was absolutely the first time Sora had ever had someone ask so openly and render him speechless. Dumbstruck, he felt his lips moving as he tried to find the perfect thing to say in reply.

“Aren’t your lips tired?” Well that. That wasn't it. That was _far_ from perfect, but the nice thing about the blindfold was that this weirdly attractive person couldn’t see the way Sora’s face flushed suddenly. Instead, he was rewarded with a casual shrug. 

“A little. But it might be worth it anyway.” 

He didn’t think to ask why. He didn’t think he _had_ to, really, because the longer he thought about it the more he came to terms with the idea that this poor schmuck’s been sitting here for who knew how long as a revolving door for kisses before Sora came along and made fun of his fashion sense.

“Even if you can’t see me?” 

There was a thin sort of smile, something a little mysterious and almost like a smirk instead. “Who knows? Maybe we’ll run into each other again later and I can see you then.” 

“Doubt it.” But it was all the encouragement Sora needed as he crouched down a little, coming face to face with him before letting a hand come up to turn the boy’s head just enough. 

The thing about it was that the kiss itself felt pretty natural, something comfortable and easy and not at all awkward like Sora had been expecting. Brief though it was, it was something that he almost wanted to try again, and he almost felt himself lean back in for a second kiss before remembering that this was kind of weird and also he was now kind of broke. On the other hand, it didn’t stop him from hovering in front of the booth as he stared at the blindfold before he stood upright.

“Guess I can see why you’re qualified.” He really, _really_ had to stop saying stupid things, but it was worth it to hear him laugh again (even if it was at Sora's own expense.) 

“I’ll be sure to remember that.” 

There was that same pause, the kind that left both of them waiting for the other to make a move. Sora stayed rooted to his spot and he watched as the boy’s hands began to move, inching up toward his blindfold.

“Listen,” he began to say, but it was enough to kick Sora into action with a nervous laugh while nearly tripping over his feet. 

“Well, uh, you’ve got customers out the door, Romeo. So I should go? But thanks and stuff, good luck with your donations!” He nearly cringed as he heard the confusion in his overly cheerful tone, wrenching open the door to stumble back out into the hallway. He thought he heard a protest as the door slammed shut, but he didn’t let it escape the room behind him. Both hands came up to scrub over his face, slapping his cheeks briefly to try and pull himself together as he heard the sound of twin heels scurrying over the wooden floor ahead.

“Sora! You were in there forever!” Kairi pointed out the obvious as she made a grab for one of his hands, assessing him curiously before her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Why...are you blushing so much?” 

“I’m not blushing!” he hissed in response. He tried to shake her off but the vice grip was stronger than usual as she began to pull him down the hall toward the stairs, Rikku flanking his other side. He thought that he would escape further scrutiny, but the moment Rikku’s face appeared close to his own he knew he was out of luck.

“Sooo...how was it?” There was a mischievous little grin and she stayed behind him as Kairi took the lead and led the three down the stairs.

“Did you set me up with a kissing booth on purpose?” The accusation should have sounded silly, but thinking about it...all the talk about relaxing, meeting special someones and the Alpha Deltas knowing how to have a good time made a little more sense. 

If he was honest with himself, he could admit that he did need a push to know what to do next and force him back out into the world. He could use the help finding ways to relax, and being in a room under the glow of Christmas lights with only one person to focus on had been the most calm he’d felt since walking into a party where he only knew one girl he’s known his entire life. 

Speak of the devil...Kairi refused to give him an answer and laced their fingers together with an innocent smile. 

“I think I want another drink. And there’s still people I want you to meet before the night’s over!” His agreement was lost in the opening notes of “Feliz Navidad” and Kairi promptly made a face before pulling him forward. “We can start with Demyx so he can change the song.”

*********************************************************

The thing about Christmas parties, Sora thought, was that it was incredibly easy to lose track of time and lose track of people. His phone weighed heavily in his pocket but with a drink in one hand and Kairi holding the other he didn’t exactly have room to check the time himself. Everything was a blur of meet and greets, hellos and goodbyes and “it’s nice to meet you”s mixed with “I’ve heard so much about you!”

What would have stressed him out a mere month ago seemed to fit him like a second skin and the more of Kairi’s friends he met the easier it became to smile openly and whip out jokes and one-liners without hesitation. 

It could’ve been because of said-drink in his hand but all the same it felt sort of like how things had felt back home where everyone knew everyone else, and the people you didn’t know you could learn to like within five minutes. It felt better than wandering by himself and trying to ease in on his own, like he was an active part of something instead of going through the motions. He had nothing to worry about.

At some point, Rikku quickly spat out a goodbye before she darted away, a screech of excitement as the elusive Paine walked through the door. It was hard to keep track of all of the names of the Alpha Deltas and Kairi’s sorority sisters and everyone in between, but it was easy to talk to them no matter how long they stuck around. Despite all of this, Kairi didn’t seem too satisfied as she continued to flit about from group to group with Sora in tow, clearly looking for someone specific. After the fifth time she huffed in annoyance, he finally spoke up.

“Are you looking for Rikku?” It was the only thing that made sense to him with the way she kept looping them back by the door. 

“Yeah!” She stomped her foot for further emphasis as she glanced toward the stairs. “We agreed to see each other tonight but..”

Okay. Never mind, it stopped making sense. “But didn’t you--”

“Riku!” she suddenly shouted too close to his ear, her free hand shooting up in the air to wave across the room before charging her way through the crowd.

“Kairi, wait!” 

Kairi did not wait. Kairi, instead, shouted Rikku’s name again as she pushed her way past people while dragging Sora behind her. Sora didn’t _see_ Rikku though. Sure, he wasn’t the tallest guy around but he usually knew how to see through clusters of people. He didn’t see another candy cane dress and bauble earrings. He didn’t see blond hair and white heels. 

Instead, he saw short silver hair, black fingerless gloves, and a dark blue Christmas sweater with an old school Mickey Mouse logo plastered on the front with a Santa hat.

It was a coincidence, right? It was absolutely, totally a coincidence that Kairi was walking straight to the guy in front of them to get past him and find Rikku. He tried to course-correct, pulling on Kairi’s hand to get her to divert from the path but she shook her head.

“Sora, come on! I’m not losing him again.” 

As they made their way across the room the crowd thinned out and Kairi marched up to the boy before throwing both of her arms around him in a hug.

“You could have told me we were playing hide and seek!” 

There was a startled laugh, and as the familiar sound reached his ears a sensation washed over him like the world was falling away from under his feet, like time stood still, like this boy’s voice was only for him...all of those terrible, horribly sappy and secretly desired cliches hit him in full-force. He came to a stop a few feet away to watch his best friend and the guy he’d kissed a few hours ago clinging to each other like they were old friends. As if sensing his surprise, Kairi tilted her head back to give him a wide smile.

“Sora! Come meet Riku.” 

...it occurred to him that perhaps he should have asked about Riku’s pronouns every time Kairi mentioned her new friend on the phone, but he couldn’t help but wonder if it would’ve made a difference at all. It probably wouldn’t have if the way Riku was staring at him was any indication, a slight upturn of his lips but aquamarine eyes were equally surprised to see Sora standing there. 

“So you’re the famous Sora. Kairi doesn’t know how to stop talking about you.” Riku seemed to ignore Kairi’s noise of protest as he grinned a little wider. “Nice to see you.” 

It was all Sora needed to know to realize that somehow, someway, Riku knew exactly who he was and what had happened between them. There wasn’t any way to avoid the way his ears suddenly burned or the way he could only blink slowly for five seconds as his brain processed one thing.

_’Wow. Way better without the blindfold.’_

“Nice to see you, too,” he finally said, unsure of what to do with his hands or his face or his anything. If Kairi noticed, she didn’t bother bringing it up and instead she finally let go of Riku to give him space.

“Riku’s thinking about picking up an internship at Twilight next fall. I thought it’d be nice to introduce you guys so he wasn’t _completely_ alone.” It was Kairi’s turn to ignore the way Riku was about to protest, and Sora found himself laughing under his breath. Maybe this is why it had felt so natural and familiar to kiss Riku in the first place. He fit right in. 

“Guess we _do_ have some stuff in common.” Sora reached up to pull on his own sweater, a sheepish grin shot Riku’s way. 

“Hey. Sometimes you’ve gotta stand out until people notice you, right?” 

“Right…”

He could almost hear Kairi thinking from beside him, blue eyes flicking back and forth between himself and Riku before she had the audacity to giggle.

“Were you waiting for someone?”

“What?” Riku finally broke eye contact with Sora to look at Kairi again, confusion immediately coming forth. 

“Look up.” 

As all three of them let their heads fall back to stare up at the doorway, the well-placed sprig of mistletoe caught their attention as it was put on display. 

“Uh.” He wasn’t sure if he said it first or if Riku did, both of them shooting Kairi identical panicked looks as she checked her nails briefly. 

“It’s tradition, boys! You know what to do.” 

This was what a set-up felt like. Kairi being all-too-gleeful with herself and being blunt as ever while Sora found himself scrambling to keep up was the kind of set-up he was used to and fell for every time. Riku, thankfully, looked the way he felt but it seemed to dawn on him at the same time it clicked for Sora.

The kissing booth set-up was on purpose, sure, but the kiss between the two of them was complete serendipity. 

Maybe that’s why it wasn’t so scary for him and why he felt his embarrassment die down as he took a step closer, eyes locked on Riku’s now that he could actually see them. Riku stayed still, seemingly waiting for Sora to approach but this time he was the one who closed the gap. The second kiss was short and sweet, just as easy and comfortable and warm as the first. To borrow another sappy cliche Sora had hoped he could apply to himself one day, kissing Riku felt like coming home and sinking into something wonderful. When Riku started to pull back, Sora didn’t let him go too far. The follow-up was short as he tasted a faint flavor of peppermint on Riku’s lips and when he pulled back to breathe he couldn't help but laugh when he caught sight of Riku’s face. 

“I think you’ll like Twilight U,” he said as an afterthought, hands balanced on Riku’s shoulders as he tried to fight off the besotted grin he wore. 

“Yeah? I think so, too.” 

“Um...guys?” 

Kairi went unanswered though, and instead Sora held up a finger as he leaned in toward Riku one more time.

They _were_ still under the mistletoe, after all. Everything else would have to wait.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey. We're not gonna talk about how long it's been since I've published things while working in the background, so here's a little SoRiku Christmas goodness. Happy Holidays folks.


End file.
